Brazil started three days of national mourning on Friday for football legend Pelé , who has died at the age of 82 .
Brazil in mourning for Pelé
A girl walks among a floral arrangement for the late Brazilian soccer star Pele at the City Hall in Santos, Brazil, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022.
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The three-time World Cup winner is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.
Tributes poured in for the man born Edson Arantes do Nascimento who became known all over the world as Pelé.
"He was important because he took Brazilian football to the global stage. Everything he did as a player, the way he behaved, his integrity really showed the roots of Brazilian football. It really is a big loss for the country, But he’s definitely playing football up in heaven", said one Brazilian supporter.
Another supporter added "he is part of the history of Brazilian football and will go on being a part of our history like Maradona did in Argentina . Even without speaking, he is the reference for Brazilian football around the world".
A wake will take place on Monday, followed by a funeral on Tuesday in Santos, the south eastern city for whose club he played most of his career.
During a career spanning more than two decades, Pelé scored a record 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches.